


But We're Not Married...

by rons_pigwidgeon



Series: But We're Not Married... [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Based on a John Donne poem, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Mildly Dubious Consent, Slightly OCC Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 10:54:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rons_pigwidgeon/pseuds/rons_pigwidgeon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Snape tries to get some, and Harry's sensibilities are affronted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this during a discussion section of a Romantic Literature (I think?) course in 2005. It was influenced by ['The Dream'](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173354) by John Donne.

_He hadn't been aware of Harry slipping into bed, but he made no objection as the little minx nudged him onto his back and straddled his hips. Rather than object, he pulled the brunette down with a hand to his neck and kissed him, pleased when he was allowed entrance to that perfect mouth. The kiss grew in intensity as Severus' hands moved over the hard planes of his lover's toned chest and abdomen until Harry pulled away. His panting breath ghosted against Severus' skin as he leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Make love to me." Growling, Severus rolled them over, pinning Harry to the bed and devouring his neck. Harry began to giggle and squirm, but he soon settled into a moan, and then a litany of acts so dirty they would have made a Taiwanese rentboy blush came tumbling from his mouth into Severus' ear. Any reserve Severus may have had fled from him and he attacked his lover in earnest._

_Harry's soft voice changed its tone from that of ecstasy to that of gentle inquisition. Mildly confused, Severus held him closer only to have him slip mysteriously from his arms._ He opened his eyes to find Harry perched on the edge of the bed, leaning over slightly to nudge his shoulder, fully covered in his pyjamas. Harry smiled shyly when he saw that Severus was awake, then looked down at his hands. "I've been trying to wake you for a few minutes. For an ex-Death Eater, you sleep rather soundly, you know."

Severus leered at him and sat up on an elbow. "Considering the dream I was having, it would be easy to understand my reluctance to wake. Although, I must admit that finding you in my bedchamber certainly eradicates any displeasure I might have felt for having been woken from it."

Pink spots of colour appeared on Harry's cheeks. "Do you ever speak like a normal person? I'm not even coherent when I first wake up."

"I believe immediate alertness upon waking would be an essential trait in someone partaking in the career of which you have already alluded."

"And yet you take forever to wake up," Harry teased as he slid under the covers and curled up next to Severus like a cat to its owner. Extremely pleased with the physical contact Harry so rarely allowed, he took advantage and leaned back against his pillows, pulling Harry flush against his chest. The younger man nuzzled his nose into Severus' collarbone and settled into the embrace. "What were you dreaming about, anyway?"

Eyes glittering with mischief, he leaned down to nibble at Harry's neck, one hand moving down to slip under his pyjamas bottoms and caress his bare arse. "You, and all the sinful things I want to do to you. It's almost divine intervention that you woke me when you did; we were just about to start. Another moment or two and we would have had to catch up with the dream." Harry began to wriggle in his arms, attempting to pull away, but Severus held on tight. He wasn't about to let Harry go without at least a kiss.

"S-stop," Harry gasped, voice edging towards desperate as he continued to wriggle.

"Where are you going, though? You've only just woken me, and it would be a shame to have you leave again so soon."

"I... I had a nightmare, but I'm all right now. Sorry I woke you, but I really need to get back to sleep, classes tomorrow and all..." he fumbled in reply, darting shyly away from the advances of Severus' mouth.

Undeterred, Severus continued to kiss and suck at any stretch of supple skin he could reach. The tiny noises of pleasure Harry occasionally made when he succeeded did nothing but spur him on. "Tomorrow is Saturday, neither of us has class. We could stay in bed all day if you so choose."

"But I don't choose. I have to supervise Quidditch. I need to get sleep."

"Rolanda has not retired yet, there is no reason for you to supervise anything but our breakfast." With a quick movement, he managed to catch Harry's lips in a demanding kiss. It only took a few strokes of his tongue across his bottom lip for Harry to relax and submit to the kiss, opening his mouth to allow his pursuer in. Pleased with his success, Severus pulled his young lover close and slid his hand back below the bottoms, kneading the soft skin he found there. Harry moaned into his mouth, but the moan seemed to act as a reminder of what he was doing and he abruptly pulled away and scrambled off the bed before Severus could stop him. When the Potions Master made a move to follow him and drag him back, Harry held up an emphatic hand. "No! You stay right where you are, Severus! This has gone far enough. I shouldn't have come in here in the first place and I am going to bed now. In my _own_ bed. And you are not to follow me, understood?"

Frustrated, Severus momentarily buried his face in a pillow, breathing in the lingering scent of his lover. "Why do you persist in refusing me? It is obvious by your responses that you desire my touch as much as I desire to touch you. What is the problem?"

A look of horror and almost shame crossed Harry's face and his mouth remained open for several moments before he gasped out, "But we aren't married, Severus!"

He was instantly baffled, mouth hanging open in an uncharacteristic show of expression he would ever only have allowed the young man in front of him to see. "What in Merlin's name could that possibly have to do with anything?"

"How could it not have anything to do with this? Sex should only be shared between spouses, you know how I feel about this."

"Yes, and I also know that you have gone back on this ridiculous idea before. Why will you not make another exception for me? I love you and I desire you above all others."

Harry looked up at him, bemusement written across his brow. "I've never made an exception for anyone..."

"Of course you have. Do you think me ignorant of your relations with the Weasley girl?"

He was shown the full brightness of those green eyes that he loved so much as they grew to be twice their normal size. "I never... with Ginny... We broke up when she was only fifteen! Besides... I never let it get passed light petting. I didn't think I would live to marry her and I would never have taken her virginity if I couldn't have promised her that."

"Yes, well, as the Dark Lord has been nothing but ash for nearly two years now, bar accident, I think we may safely assume that you are not meant for an early death and may partake in sexual pleasures without worry. Now please, come back to bed." He hadn't meant for the last sentence to come out in a near pleading voice, but he didn't mean a good deal of things to occur in Harry's presence, and yet he was unable to control himself when near the man.

"I am going to bed, my own bed. Whether I live until I'm 200 or not, it doesn't change the fact that you and I are not married, and I am not giving my virginity away to anyone that is not my spouse." Harry swiftly left the chamber before Severus could make further protest.

Frustrated, Severus buried his face back into his pillow and debated resulting to self-satisfaction. What if Harry changed his mind and came back? Yes, indeed, what if Harry did come back? He sat up, a slow smiling creeping onto his face at his epiphany. That was precisely what Harry meant to do. Tease him into arousal slowly so that he would need little encouragement when the man decided to come back. Severus settled back into the mattress, content in the knowledge that Harry would come back, he just needed to be patient.


	2. Part II

He never came back. He more than never came back, he evaded every attempt Severus made to get near him, even going so far as to exchange seats with Irma (who, as far as he knew, had _never_ altered from her seat next to Filch since the day she was hired) so that they would be on opposite sides of the staff table. Harry _hated_ Filch. What was worse was that squirrelly, obnoxious, little muggle-lover, Donevin, was flirting with Harry, his Harry. And Harry was flirting right back, unabashedly; he could hear his infectious giggles from across the staff table and it was beginning to make him impatient. He would have to commit murder most foul soon and then Minerva would be upset with him for leaving her without a Muggle Studies teacher and that just would not do.

Instead, he decided to take action. If Harry persistently evaded contact with him, he would make it so that it was impossible for Harry to escape without at least speaking to him. This decision led him to the second-floor entrance to Harry's rooms at nine in the evening, knowing that Harry, creature of habit that he was, would be settled in his sitting room with some form of class preparation on his lap ready to retire within the hour, and if Severus had his way, the young man would not be retiring alone. Oddly, Orellia, the normally-chatty wood nymph that guarded Harry's rooms, looked hesitant and decidedly uncomfortable to see him. "Professor Snape," she stuttered, unnerving him even more. She always addressed him as Severus, as Harry had asked her to.

"Orellia," he greeted with a nod, attempting to appear as if he had not noticed her formal speech. "Please inform Harry that he has a visitor, but do not tell him whom it is. He might not answer the door if he knows that it is me."

"I will, but I must warn you first, he... is already entertaining a visitor at the moment."

Severus cooly hid his surprise. "Don't be ridiculous. Harry never has visitors after nine in the evening except for me. Has Weasley had another dispute with Granger?"

"No, it isn't Ron..."

Already impatient with Harry's behavior, her increasing hesitation was threatening his cool demeanor. "Then precisely whom is he entertaining?"

"Walter Donevin, sir."

"Donevin? Why on earth..." He shook his head of the question, now determined more than ever to speak with Harry. That insufferable, little worm could be touching what did not belong to him and Severus was not about to allow it to continue any longer. "Let me in. I do not care if he is entertaining the Minister himself, I must speak with him immediately."

"But Harry told me not to..."

"Nymph, you will let me in this instant or it will take the restorers years to repair the damage I will do to your painting, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Professor." The little thing looked terrified as she swung open, but Severus felt no remorse for having frightened the insufferable creature. He had a Muggle Studies professor to eviscerate. He walked into the room to see the victim of his wrath lounging on the couch, and not only was he touching Harry, but Harry was curled comfortably into the crook of his arm. That was the way Harry sat with Severus, not some puny, pathetic excuse for a wizard. Harry looked startled to see him come through the portrait and stood immediately to meet him in the middle. The infidel took one look at the ferocity of Severus' look and became instantly panicked, visibly twitching as he searched the room for a place to hide.

"Severus, what are you doing here?"

"Orellia let me in. I was becoming impatient to speak with you since you have refrained from speaking with me for two months, despite my numerous attempts to engage you. And why is _he_ here? You never permit visitors this late at night."

"Harry may have visitors if he likes," spoke the cowering idiot before Harry had a chance to answer. Severus favoured him with a glare aimed to squelch any further interruption. How dare that coward acquire enough backbone to oppose him! Was he aware that his life hung by a fragile string Severus was itching to cut?

"Yes, he may, but it is unusual for him to do so, and I am not at all pleased to find you accosting him. What is the meaning of this?" He turned to Harry at the last question, trying his very hardest not to appear as infuriated as he was. He knew that fury was never a means to gain his lover's favour.

"What do you mean, what is the meaning of this? We were cuddling on the couch. I'm allowed to cuddle on the couch with anyone I please, and especially with my boyfriend."

Severus took several minutes longer than necessary to stare at him in stunned silence. Had he just heard the little whelp correctly? "Harry, that insignificant, little worm can not be your... _boyfriend_." He spat the word with all the revulsion he possessed, but quickly calmed himself. "You are already spoken for and have been for over a year."

"No, I have not! Don't speak about him in that way! Just because you're jealous that I've finally found someone that cares for me and isn't only interested in sex doesn't mean you have the right to speak about my boyfriend in that way!"

"What on Earth could you possibly be alluding to? Of course I care about you, you are my lover, and as such, I love you. I've told you so countless times despite the fact that I despise vocalising any form of affection and you know this. How could you possibly take fault with my adoration of you?"

"You scoff every time I even mention the word marriage, what am I suppose to think?"

"You need a piece of parchment that indicates absolutely nothing in order to assure yourself of my feelings? I will never participate in such a farce that does not even require mutual affection and may be destroyed with a simple form." Severus' voice had fallen into the soft purr he normally only reserved for whispering in Harry's ear while entwined under the duvet, but it was obvious to him that this situation required this particular brand of delicacy in order to coax his lover back into bed. "If I were to make a permanent commitment, I would assure myself and my partner that it was indeed permanent and bind myself to him, but that is not an action one is permitted to enter into lightly and it takes years of intimacy to attain the proper level to perform."

"And is that what you want to do? Bind our souls together?" His eyes were shining with something Severus was unsure of, but he prayed with all his being that it was hope.

He frowned slightly. "It would take much consideration and time before I would be confident that we could agree to such a decision..."

"But you would, if we had enough time?"

"I can not answer that definitively at this time."

Harry's face melted into a mask of determined anger. "Not good enough." He pointed resolutely at the door. "Out. Get out!" he growled, voice curling into a higher pitch in his pain.

Not understanding what he had said to upset his love, he shook his head and stepped closer. "Harry..."

"OUT! GET OUT THIS INSTANT! I don't want to hear any more of your lies! Anything we had is OVER!" he screeched, visibly shaking with anger. Severus made another move to placate him, but suddenly found himself arse-down in the dungeon corridor outside his own rooms with no idea as to how he had got there. He looked around in delirium, not realizing where he was for a moment. Harry had not lost control of his magic on such a large scale since he reportedly inflated his aunt when he was still in school, at least not that Severus knew about. He took a quick glance down the hallway to make sure that no students had been lurking nearby to see his blunder before standing and brushing himself off. He spoke the password to his rooms and stormed inside, his entire body taught with anger. He spent the rest of the night ranting under his breath and pacing the sitting room.


	3. Part III

A treatise on exactly what each of the three most commonly-used bondings would entail failed to entice Harry's favour as dismally as every other attempt Severus had made to make peace with his love. And so, Severus found himself leaving the castle for the summer alone and far more sullen than usual, with disturbing visions of the holiday Harry was on with that disgusting excuse for a wizard, Donivan.

He had become accustomed to vibrant conversation and a warm body in his bed over the year, and three months of loneliness was unpleasant to say the least. The only person that visited him was Minerva, and even her visits were unpleasant because she did her best during each to 'suggest' that he break down and ask Harry to marry him. As the option was unthinkable, these suggestions only served to frustrate him more. By the end of August, he was prepared to hex Donivan on sight.

The only thing that stopped him was the happiness in Harry's eyes when he met him in the hallway outside the staff room. Harry was smiling, a pleasant glow about him as though he was about to get exactly what he wanted. "Severus, good to see you. How was your summer?"

"Titillating," he answered dryly.

Harry grinned. "I'm sure it was. Did you do anything interesting or did you stay hulled up in that cave of yours and never see the light of day?"

"I was busy with my research and had no time to venture out."

"You were researching last summer, but we still went out all the time."

"Yes, but as you were with that... wretch, I was without companion and therefore had no reason to stray from my home."

Harry rolled his eyes. "He isn't a wretch and I wasn't with him all summer. I spent most of it with Ron and Hermione and the Weasleys."

"Indeed?"

"Mhmm. I got to talk a lot with Molly..."

Severus did not like the turn of this conversation, but did not interrupt in case his instinct somehow failed him and it turned out well. "As much as I dread saying this, what did the Weasley matriarch have to say?"

"She told me that you are being ridiculous, that it's natural for a couple to be married before they are bonded."

Severus exhaled and prepared himself for a very trying conversation, indeed. He would have to send Molly Weasley a thank you package, a rather unpleasant one. "Excuse me if I do not take the Weasley marriage as a model for my own."

"Molly and Arthur have a wonderful marriage! And they aren't the only ones to marry before they were bonded. So was Minerva, as she tells me. And the Tonkses, and Remus' parents. Even the Malfoys were, if what Molly tells me is true, and I know you admired them."

"Yes, but you seem to have overlooked a major factor in all of the relationships you so dutifully mentioned. They are all heterosexual."

"And? What does that have to do with anything?" There were the beginnings of a fetching flush on his cheeks and the only thing that stopped Severus from snatching him up and kissing him was the anger in his eyes.

"It would appear that your powers of observation are as lacking as always, as you have failed to notice that we are not."

Harry glared at him. "I don't see how that has anything to do with it."

"It has everything to do with the matter. Not only is marriage a farce parading around as a commitment, it is a heterosexual farce, and I have no intention of partaking in something as base as a heterosexual practice."

His love only rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering under his breath what Severus thought might have been 'I can't believe this...' He took the smaller man's arm and turned him back around.

"Why do you think that I would ever participate in a marriage? I have never given you any indication that I would even consider such an action."

Harry gritted his teeth. "You told me you loved me."

Severus blinked at him, not entirely certain how the two were connected. "I do love you, but I fail to see what my love for you has to do with a useless piece of parchment."

"It would make me happy. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course, but I will not forgo my personal convictions in order to give you a gratuitous piece of parchment. That we are committed to each other aught to be enough."

"Aught to be, but it isn't. I want to be married and I want to be married to you." Suddenly and unexpectedly, Severus was enveloped in the familiar arms of his lover and Harry was kissing his cheek. "Please, I miss you. If it's not important to you and it doesn't matter, then what's the difference to you if you do it? We're committed to each other anyway, why can't you just do this to please me?"

He had a difficult time concentrating on what Harry was saying, too distracted with touching where he had not been allowed to for a very long time. "It goes against my principles," he finally murmured, nose buried in dark, scruffy hair.

"Sometimes we have to give up our principles in order to achieve our goals."

"And what goal would marriage be achieving for me?"

Harry appeared to crawl up his body to reach his ear, though his feet never left the ground, and he whispered hotly into it. "You want to make love, don't you? If you agree, we'll make love every night, twice a night, during our lunch hour, on your desk, on my desk, on the students' desks, in the staff room… anywhere and everywhere you like."

Severus felt himself harden at the very idea of such a freedom. To touch Harry whenever he liked, in whatever manner he liked; to strip him of all those layers of clothing and have him stretched out and wanton in their bed. It was quite a temptation, almost overwhelming. It did not help that Harry's mouth was doing wicked things to his ear, that his tongue was hot and wet against his skin, that his fingers had buried themselves into his hair, or that he was being pulled down for a passionate kiss more intense than they had shared since their first.

Severus groaned and pulled Harry tight against him, taking over the kiss as he pushed his tongue into his lover's mouth. Harry made a little whimper deep within his throat and melted into him. They stood kissing for several long minutes before a cough from a little ways away startled them and they pulled away to see Minerva standing at the staff room door, eyebrow raised in surprise. Harry turned a brilliant red and tried to pull away, but Severus kept him where he was, determined not to lose the physical connection now that it was being permitted once more.

"I'm glad to see that whatever differences you two have been harbouring are resolved, but if you are quite finished, I believe there is a meeting you are both expected to attend. The rest of the staff is waiting."

"We'll be there in a moment, Minerva, thank you for reminding us," Severus spoke, eyes having returned to his lover as soon as he had seen who was causing their interruption. Harry smiled shyly at the Headmistress and turned to Severus, intending to pry his arms away. "If you will promise me that you will not spend another moment alone in… that man's presence again, I will agree to take a union into consideration."

"Only into consideration?" Harry asked with doleful eyes.

"Patience is a Gryffindor virtue, I believe, is it not Minerva?"

"It is, indeed, Severus, but I believe when one is dealing with you, one needs more than the usual amount of it." With that, she disappeared into the staff room, an entreaty for them to hurry up left unsaid. Harry looked to consider this for a moment before a broad smile spread across his face and he leaned up to kiss Severus gently on the lips.

"I think I can do that, if you really think about it instead of just saying you will."

"I will take the matter into serious consideration, I assure you."

Harry grinned and kissed him again before wiggling out of his arms and following Minerva into the meeting. Severus followed suit a moment later, faint traces of a smile on his face, though they were only detectable if one really knew him.


End file.
